<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>an unfamiliar roofless sky by SolivagantStories</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27920977">an unfamiliar roofless sky</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolivagantStories/pseuds/SolivagantStories'>SolivagantStories</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Renewal AU [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Bad cares about Dream and about Ant, Gen, I hate Bad’s character tag so much, Lore Lore Lore, Netherfolk, So much Lore, Starvation, backstory pog, he’s trying, this is part of a huge story</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:08:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,489</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27920977</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolivagantStories/pseuds/SolivagantStories</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bad tumbled through the portal, dizzy and confused. He opened his eyes to a world unlike anything he’d ever seen. It was nothing like the Nether. There was no roof, no endless lava. Only unfamiliar colors and distant screaming. </p><p>His mother tells him to run, and he does.  </p><p> </p><p>————</p><p> </p><p>Or: How Bad ends up roped into the kings’ guard, and how he finds his path in life, towards Dream and Ant and everything that they bring with them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Renewal AU [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2028499</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>254</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>an unfamiliar roofless sky</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyFox17/gifts">IcyFox17</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Another childhood one shot except this is not fluffy. At all. &gt;:) </p><p>(You won’t understand this unless you’ve read ‘a renewal of faith and of family’ first but you might enjoy it anyway I guess)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bad screamed. </p><p>He writhed against the dirt, dizzy and hurt and so, so tired. The world felt unstable, cold. </p><p>Freezing. </p><p>He shivered, mouth hung open. He couldn’t move except to twitch, eyes unseeing. Everything was so cold. So wrong. </p><p>The rooftop of the world was too open. It was gone. It was blue. He hated it. </p><p>Someone grabbed at his shoulder and he lurched at the touch, trying to move. Somehow he stood, limbs heavy. </p><p>He stared into his mother’s’ eyes, taking in the panic and fear reflected in her crimson. Taking in the blood on her forehead. On her lips. </p><p>“Please, honey,” she whispered, only barely heard over the roaring in his ears, “Run. Remember that— that I love you. And so does your father. We did this to protect you.” </p><p>Bad couldn’t tell up from down, but he nodded anyway. It was robotic, slow. A wave of dizziness hit him as he glanced away, at colors he’d never seen before. </p><p>There was so much color. Unnamed color just like the unnamed roof that didn’t exist. The unnamed texture under his feet. </p><p>The unnamed feeling he felt as his mother pushed at his shoulders, rough and making him tumble. He stumbled backwards towards unfamiliar buildings. Buildings grouped together so closely he could get lost in them. </p><p>Distantly he heard yelling, screams. He caught a glimpse of the portal, the only thing of his home. The only familiar thing. Caught a glimpse of his father, standing near it. </p><p>Of humans, decked out in armor. </p><p>Something ugly rushed to his throat and he gagged on it, choked on emotion.  </p><p>No.  </p><p>He stared at his mother, at the warm bubbling tears that cascaded down her cheeks. She was smiling brokenly. </p><p>Smiling. </p><p>“Go, Bad.” </p><p>Ever the obedient one, he turned. Turned on his heel, and ran. </p><p> </p><p>/-/-/—/-/-/—/-/-/—/-/-/—/-/-/—/-/-/</p><p> </p><p>He found himself hidden away between walls, trying to find the smallest space. Trying to find a place to escape the lack of a roof over his head. </p><p>He’d dug hands into his hair, pulled at it. It did nothing to stop the roaring in his head. Did nothing to stop echoes of screams and the hunger in his chest and the—</p><p>Bad shivered, wrapping strangely pale arms around himself. </p><p>He’d been taught from a young age how to shift his skin to the right color. How to pretend to be human. He’d never questioned it. </p><p>He grit his teeth, trying not to be bitter. At least, not towards his family. It wasn’t their fault. </p><p>It wasn’t their fault. </p><p>(Then whose was it?) </p><p>Bad shivered again, couldn’t stop shivering. It was just. So. Cold. </p><p>The world was so cold and so were the people and so were the— </p><p>Bad forced himself not to think. Not to follow that train of thought. </p><p>He had no idea what his life would be, now. He’d finally seen his family after so long but...</p><p>But he wouldn’t ever see them again. </p><p>He stifled a whimper at the thought, accidentally glancing at the roofless top of the world. At the way the blue was shifting. </p><p>Was it the end of the world? Was the world ending along with his future? Was that why blackness was seeping all around, reminding him of his home? </p><p>He looked down, staring instead at the (unfamiliar) dirt. At the (unfamiliar) stone. </p><p>The echoes of screams filled his ears in the oppressive silence and he winced, wishing he could cover his ears and it’d be over. Wishing that he could close his eyes like a little kid. </p><p>A sound cut through the silence. </p><p>Bad flinched, looking up. </p><p>(But he didn’t truly look up, not towards the dizzying roofless sky, the one that felt so unsafe—) </p><p>There was a figure blocking the ever darkening void from view, a silhouette against blues and blacks. </p><p>They were standing nearby, hidden by a large black cloak. Red highlights danced down the sleeves and it felt so familiar that Bad felt himself relaxing ever so slightly. </p><p>He knew those colors. That clothing. </p><p>It was Netherborn. </p><p>He still tensed when the stranger walked forward, hands scrambling against the strange floor. The strangely washed out brick. He scooted back even further into his hideaway, his sanctuary. </p><p>The figure froze, blocking the only entrance to his new... (home?). </p><p>“Hey, it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you...” </p><p>The voice was feminine, gentle. And so, so soft. (It reminded him of his mother, of fingers carding through his hair, of kind words whispered when he couldn’t eat, he could never eat—) </p><p>Bad didn’t move as the stranger crouched to his level, feeling strangely small. Childlike. </p><p>Tears he didn’t want welled in his eyes as the strangers cloak fell away, revealing red eyes that were just as brilliant and kind as his mothers’ but so, so different. </p><p>He didn’t want to cry. Didn’t want to let his guard down so soon. But the whispers of familiarity made him want to trust, if only slightly, that he wouldn’t die. </p><p>“Hey...,” the stranger whispered, “I really shouldn’t be here, really, really shouldn’t, but...” </p><p>She trailed off, glancing over her shoulder. </p><p>Bad recognized it. The nervousness. The fear. This stranger was running from something. Or was, at least, scared. </p><p>Out of instinct he reached out, oh so cold hand holding hers. </p><p>“It’ll be okay.” </p><p>The stranger cracked a small smile, joyful wrinkles making her look old but so, so kind. </p><p>“I should be saying that to you,” she said. </p><p>Then she slipped her cloak off, and stuffed it into his shaking hands. He grabbed at it, clutching it to his chest out of instinct. Then he froze, the fabric warm against shivering fingers. </p><p>He stared at her, this guardian angel, confused. </p><p>“...Why?” </p><p>“I have to leave,” she said, “I have to leave but I heard of another portal being found and— and I needed to at least try to save someone. I’ve been useless... so, so useless.” </p><p>For a moment she looked so distraught, so sad, that Bad almost forgot his own dizziness. Almost forgot his own sadness, his own tragedy. </p><p>Then her face hardened with resolve. </p><p>“I know this isn’t much, but your best bet is becoming a knight,” she said, “You don’t have money or a lineage but it’s still possible. You’ll have to work for it though.” </p><p>Bad didn’t know what a knight did. What a knight was. </p><p>He was so, so confused. Confused about everything. He felt tiny and lost and like this stranger was trying to lead him by the hand. </p><p>“...What’s a knight?” </p><p>She stared at him for a long moment, red eyes starting to glow in the darkening roofless world. </p><p>There was silence. (There was silence when there shouldn’t be, death where there should be none, hunger, hunger—) </p><p>“It’s a way to have food.” </p><p>And that sent a jolt through him. A jolt of disbelief. Of ambition. Of happiness. Of tentative hope. </p><p>“...But you can’t have food,” he said, wary, “You just can’t. That’s a rule.” </p><p>She looked so sad. </p><p>“Here you can,” she murmured, “Here you can, if you become a knight.” </p><p>Bad didn’t know how he could trust her. He couldn’t, not really. But... but she was Netherborn and familiar.  </p><p>The only familiar thing in a world where he was alone. </p><p>“Put on the cloak,” she instructed, “Put it on and find a way to hide your eyes as soon as possible. I... I didn’t think to bring it I wasn’t really expecting...” </p><p>She cut herself off. </p><p>“Anyway, later. Later, once you’re a knight...” </p><p>Bad watched as she seemed to struggle with herself, hesitating. She looked so conflicted, and the darkening world did nothing to help the image. Her eyes glowed comfortingly, bright and warm even as she seemed sad. </p><p>“Once you’re a knight,” she said again, firmer, “Find my son. He’s the crown prince. I doubt you know what that means but... just. Please. Take care of my son for me if you want to. Or at least check up on him.” </p><p>Then the firm tone melted, and she turned away from him slightly, face twisted. </p><p>“....What am I doing, asking a child to do this? What am I? No—,” she turned back to him, “Just take care of yourself, okay? I can’t stay.” </p><p>And she was gone, leaving him confused and dizzy and lost. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>/-/-/—/-/-/—/-/-/—/-/-/—/-/-/—/-/-/</p><p> </p><p>Later, once he’d worn the cloak so often that it’d torn at the edges, once he’d found something to hide his eyes. Once he’d learned what the sky was, and what stars were. </p><p>Once he was a knight, he’d remember her request. When he had food, something he’d only once dreamed of having consistently, he’d remember. </p><p>Later, he’d think back on that conversation. </p><p>He’d think back, and thank her silently, standing by Antfrost’s door. Thank her for giving him a purpose, when he had just lost everything. </p><p>He’d thank her, and watch as Dream walked by, unable to say hi but still smiling a greeting.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wasn’t planning on writing this but then I joined a discord server full of lovely people (you know who you are) and my motivation shot up through the roof. </p><p>I hope y’all enjoyed, and thanks for reading! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>